This tour was short: 3 Chicago shows, Madison, Milwaukee and...Cedar Falls (where?). The last three have, since 2000, been treated like a run due to their release, in part, on Dick's #18. It's essentially an early Road Trips release, but makes some poor track choices (and the Chicago shows are just as good). This Milwaukee date is the least represented on that release (just All Over Now & Dupree's). The show is not as good as the night before, but better than the next night (and the most consistent of the three, overall). It was a dropped-ball when DiP18 didn't include more of this show, since it has several highlights not circulating on SBD. They booked Milwaukee again for just 5 months later, but had a rainout. Wisconsin has always been a Dead stronghold market (c. f. the 20 Alpine Valley shows, mostly all good), and they played this 4000-seat theater again in '80.

1st Set. The set starts solidly above average, and though Me & My Uncle was played (and listened) to death, this is an unskippable, A- version. Same with Row Jimmy, which has a great solo and the drummers are ON. Beat it On Down the Line-13 is average '78, like the rest of the set, except for a standout Candyman. Deal is better the next night and All Over Now was a weird, substandard pick for DiP18 - is there no complete Betty in the vault?

2nd Set. Six and a half minutes into Samson it just freaking takes off. Dupree's is an average, straightforward read, but one of only two in '78 (so maybe it was included on DiP18 for the history). This Terrapin shows how Donna was initially a crucial element to the song. Playin' is one of the jazzy-type versions that cropped up throughout '78. The rest is average '78 but for an amazing, best-of-78 Black Peter. Check out that interplay - active, bluesy, nailed. The SBD has a 30sec cut @6:50 (I spliced-in a pitch corrected AUD, with fine results).

1st Set:  B-
2nd Set: B-
Overall = 3½ stars

Highlights:
Me & My Uncle - vanilla pick, sure, but a great version is still better than fishing
Row Jimmy - Check the solo and the drummers
Candyman - Sometimes it's this solid
Black Peter - bluesy, not sluggish, and they play off each other

SOURCES: The 1st set only circulates as an AUD of unknown prodigy (vernon_12199), but sounds good! It does runs a bit fast and needs pitch correction of -1%. The second set (bertrando_reel_wise) is a Betty Board, so nuff sed.

Maybe a touch of bass cut is all it needs to make it perfect. The show is amazing. If you'd heard almost any show in January of the year, you could easily be forgiven for having the wrong impression about this band. But if you gave up before February, you'd seriously be missing out.

Milwaukee is right up there with Madison and Cedar Rapids. Dupree's and It's All Over Now are on Dick's Picks 18. Not Fade Away!

What a great season for the band though. Someday the SBD will emerge from the shadows

This run (2/3 &2/5 are Dick's Pick's) are well worth checking out, and as other reviewers have noted, this show may not get as much attention due to the apparent lack of a soundboard (although, Hunter Seamons has a matrix of Candyman with a Dan Healy soundboard).

I'd estimate the quality of this audience recording to be in the top 25% of audience tapes, and it's pretty consistent throughout. The "Deal" and "Samson and Delilah" (over 9 minutes long) are crushers.

Smack dab between two of the most celebrated shows of '78, it should come as no surprise that this show is mighty hot. If these 3 shows circulated in SBD they'd be widely (and correctly) regarded as the best run since 11/04-06/77, if not 6/7-9/77.

I'll buck the tide a bit and say I have no use for the laryngitis shows. But something magical happened on 1/22 (maybe it was Kesey :) and from Eugene through this run every show is just outstanding. Jerry is playing with fire, conviction and a sure touch.

The sound quality is not so great on this aud. But scoop the mids and jack Phil up and it's more than listenable. Soundboard snobs should reconsider for this one. It's a keeper.

"." Nonintuitive

I am working on transferring this show from my dad's tapes and a dub I found on the shelf. My Row Jimmy track is messed up so thanks a million for the clean version!

And for anyone who was wondering: The sound quality of this show isn't top notch but it sure is an awesome show! I don't know if you can tell from these files, but there was unbelievable energy! A lot of the songs don't have an ending... they were so pumped that they went from song to song! The solos are sweet and other than some less than perfect sound quality, the show is awesome.

You tell 'em Loaf. I found the sound on this to be really nice. Absolutely listenable and enjoyable.

So this is a seriously rockin show, Jerry is communicating real direct and sincere on Deal. One of those moments that delivers the feeling of a personal connection to Big Jer.
Great Black Peter with shredding cresendo. Superior Around and Around, Sat Night way up there too.
I do not take Dave Marsh seriously when it comes to the Grateful Dead, he is one of their detractors and he just does not matter or carry any authority on the subject.
There are always these nay sayers on the Dead, let them be, too bad for them they didn't get it, Because it was fuckin' unbelievable fun, and then some.
Maybe they knew some amiable dirtbag Deadhead and formed their opinion of the band based on that. Fuck 'em.

Just really listened to this seriously for the first time since seeing the show- I was a newbie then- Post Drums is amazing. Was it Dave Marsh(of Rolling Stone mag.) that called the Dead the worst interpreter of Chuck Berry's music? He needs to check out the Around & Around (and 10-06-77).Black Peter builds to an incredible climax also,and the Sat. Night has to be one of the best ever. Talk about rockin'! The band exploded,leaving rock fragments embedded forever in the walls of the Auditorium.

Jerry's voice, while not 100%, is getting close to back to normal, as this reading of Dupree's attests. Just awesome. This show is a hidden gem, tucked in between two Dick's Pick's nights. Not a perfect recording, but it is thick and totally listenable!

No, nchead ,you are not crazy, this show kicks serious ass.It is not the greatest aud, but the playing is superb. Every song has its moment, or two. Keith and Donna are especially good and Jerry's playing is very inspired. What a nice
surprise this show is!

I'm lying about 5 stars but only because of the AUD sound quality. Just wanted to bring 3 star rating up to suck you in if possible. BIODTL, ALL OVER NOW, DEAL, DUPREE'S, TERRAPIN, AROUND, SAT. NIGHT, OTHERS, go down the list. For the period this show is top shelf despite the sound and jerry's ragged voice. Aud. mix allows each player to be heard, weir is leading the pack at times(dupree's, etc.). Either I'm crazy or this is a really fine show. Hopefully there is a sbd. out there somewhere if not thanks to whoever taped this one.......fiddle with the EQ and give it a roll. (12-12-80, 1rst set posting aud.)

Then you must take a peek at the sounds here. e.g. in Deal, Jerry takes two choruses and it appears to be over; but he then switches over to chords for his third time through, and generates a lot of excitement. Not a textbook four-timer like the next night, but fun and interesting.

Around has much of the energy and a few of the classic bends of the JB Goode from the night before.